Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) chief executive Romilly Madew will co-chair a new global network focused on building greener, healthier schools and increasing the environmental literacy of the next generation of students.

“Just as investing in quality teaching and quality resources is essential, so too is investing in quality learning environments,” Madew says.

She will join the World Green Building Council’s (WorldGBC) chief executive officer Jane Henley as a founding co-chair of The Global Coalition for Green Schools.

The Coalition was launched as part of the US Green Building Council’s Greenbuild conference in Philadelphia and consists of green building councils and other like-minded organisations from around the world that will work at the grassroots level to deliver communities resources and support to transform their schools.

“Too many students in Australia learn in school buildings that are too cold in winter, too hot in summer, badly lit and poorly ventilated.  This affects student health and learning, teacher morale and school operational costs – as well as the environment,” Madew says.

“By bringing together the leaders in the global green schools movement, the Global Coalition aims to ensure every child learns in a green school within this generation,” added Henley.

Each of the 28 founding members of the Global Coalition for Green Schools will establish a national network to connect stakeholders, build partnerships and create a movement to advocate for change.

With more than 9500 schools around Australia, the vision for the nation is to give all students and teachers access to sustainable places so they can reap the benefits of healthy, productive, efficient education facilities.

“With the support of the Global Coalition for Green Schools, we will bring the right people together to create an Australian centre for sustainable schools,” Madew says.

“This hub will share case studies and examples of great education facilities, and provide information on the range of programs and resources that already exist to teach students about sustainability.”